The Tailor's Needle...

The Tailor's Needle A tailor was at work. He took a piece of cloth and with a pair of shining, costly, scissors; he cut the cloth into various bits. Then he put the pair of scissors at his feet. Then he took a small needle and thread and started to sew the bits of cloth, into a fine shirt. When the spell of sewing was over, he stuck the needle on to his turban. The tailor's son who was watching it asked him: "Father, the scissors are costly and look so beautiful. But you throw them down at your feet. This needle is worth almost nothing; you can get a dozen for an anna. Yet, you place it carefully on your head itself. Is there any reason for this illogical behavior?" "Yes, my son. The scissors have their function, no doubt; but they only cut the cloth into bits. The needle, on the contrary, unites the bits and enhances the value of the cloth. Therefore, the needle to me is more precious and valuable. The value of a thing depends on its utility, son, not on its cost-price or appearance." Similarly, there are two classes of people in the world-those who create dissensions and disharmony, who separate man from man; and those who bring about peace and harmony, who unite people. The former are generally the rich people, powerful politicians and kings; the latter are generally the poor devotees of God, the penniless wandering monks, and mendicants. The Lord makes use of both to carry on his function of providing the field for the evolution of individual souls. He throws down on the dust the mighty kings and millionaires who create wars and disharmony; and He keeps the poor, pious devotee over His own head. In His eyes the scale of values is entirely different!

Message for every parent

~*~Message for every parent~*~ Give your children the right guidance in life, instill good values and encourage them to raise great and noble thoughts. Teach them to be kind, compassionate and generous along with being smart and fashionable. Teach them to love unconditionally and serve elders. Teach them to be kind to servants, and not be rude and loud mouthed to them. Teach them to appreciate the goodness in every being. Teach them never to lie. Teach them that truth is loved by God and to be truthful at all times. Teach them about God, let them know about the Heavenly Father and what He wants from them. Teach them about the law of karma. That Good begets good and bad begets bad. So that they are aware of things and the way things should be done. Teach them that the way to the Lord is through prayer and good deeds, and that one should never refrain from doing so. Teach them that they are always in God's eyes and that nothing goes unnoticed by God the Almighty. Teach them to respect you, first. Tell them what being a parent is and that every child will be a parent someday. Give them the facts about life. Teach them simple living and high thinking. Teach them that too much expenditure is not correct and that one should learn to save, and give to the needy whenever possible. Teach them that they are blessed to be born under your guidance and care and that many parents are unable to guide their children in the right direction. Teach that that enjoyment in life is good but not at anothers expense. Inculcate the habit of reading in them at an early age. Teach them that books are an ocean of knowledge, which will help them to shape and mould their lives rightly. Keep a watch on what they read. Guide them to take care of themselves and live rightly. Keep their eating habits healthy, by giving them enough fruits and salads. Set good examples for your children by playing a role model for them. Teach them to be alert and aware in life . Also most important, give them a good knowledge about spirituality and about faith in God the Creator. God has placed a huge responsibility of raising great kids on your head, be not failures in His eyes. Teach your children to be humble and sweet, noble and kind.Give them various examples about the lives of God and their living, and tell them that even they have to be just like them. When you set high standards and goals for yourself, be sure that you will definitely reach somewhere close to it. Do not think small of yourself or your children. Do not be discouraged when your efforts go unnoticed by your children or others around, there is a Great Someone who watches over your attempts and sincere efforts at all times. And in due time will definitely pay you rich rewards. Give them your love, time and affection. Parents you are blessed to be parents, so go ahead and raise beautiful children. May the Heavenly Father bless all your efforts, and may they all be fruitful. Stay Happy,Peaceful and Blessed. Contributed by: Anju Jethwaney

Why living with people is so difficult?

Why living with people is so difficult? Swami Tejomayananda The most difficult thing to do is to live in peace and harmony with people. It is, perhaps, easier to live with birds and animals. Why is living with people a problem? We know that fire is hot and we accept that fact. If we are burnt by touching fire, we do not blame it. If a whole house is burnt down, we may condemn other factors or blame our negligence, but would accept fire as it is. Its place is undeniable and it is not rejected. Similarly, we accept the coolness of ice, the beauty of flowers, fruits, trees and plants. Again, if we are admiring a beautiful, full moon and someone else comes and starts appreciating it, we don’t say, “Why are you looking at my moon? You have no right to see it!” There is no sense of ownership, no possessiveness; there is acceptance without any projection of likes and dislikes. The Bhagavad Gita says that a wise person moves everywhere with love and affection. Like the wind blowing freely, he does not get attached to anything. He accepts all. Sometimes people behave nicely, sometimes they don’t. This neither elates nor depresses the wise person. “Such a man of wisdom lives with his senses under control, free from personal likes and dislikes, and therefore, enjoys every object, place, situation and person”. Also, we find it difficult to live with people because we have too many expectations of them. If I expect something of another, that person may also expect something of me. Furthermore, i am unable to fulfill my own expectations of myself. I want to do so many things, but I am unable to do them. Thus, we feel disappointed and frustrated with ourselves, and aggrieved or upset with others when they fail to satisfy our expectations. I saw a sticker that said, “Don’t try to change me. Accept me as I am”. It is important to understand the message clearly and completely. The message is that one should accept the fact as it is. Then if a change is necessary, try to make that change, but do not insist on it. Every parent wants the child to perform well and excel whether in sports or in studies. There is nothing wrong with that. But, to expect something that may not be possible for the child to do, and unnecessarily apply pressure and force, will cause frustration to all. When one is living with people it may not be possible to have no expectations at all, so one should have reasonable expectations. An artistically inclined child with no aptitude for commerce should not be forced into the family business. Expectations should be reasonable and based on knowledge and wisdom. As far as nature or the moon is concerned, we do not feel a sense of ownership or possessiveness. But with regard to people this feeling is deep seated and can be very destructive. What we need to have is love and affection. Along with that there should be freedom and space, too. Two hands joined together leave a gap and can be easily separated. Similarly, we should give space to people. Often we hear people say, “Give me some space please!” If you love a bird, will you cage it and expect it to be happy? It is not possible to love someone and also confine them in that love.

Uncommon Decency

Uncommon Decency Last week, Sara Tucholsky, a 5-foot-2-inch softball layer in her senior year for Western Oregon University, was playing in a big game with Central Washington University. Both teams were vying for the Division II NCAA playoffs. Sara, who was batting less than .200 all season, hit the ball over the fence with two runners on. She had never hit a ball out of the park before, even in practice. She was so excited, she missed first base. Realizing this, she turned to go back but collapsed in agony as her knee gave out. Her first-base coach yelled that she had to crawl back to first base because if anyone on Sara's team touched her, she'd be out and her home run would be nullified. Her coach encouraged her to try to crawl around the other bases to preserve her home run, but it was out of the question. That's when the star player on the other team, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpire if she and a teammate could carry Sara around the bases. It was an unprecedented request from an opponent fighting for a playoff berth, but the rules allowed it. Without hesitation, Mallory and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Sara and carried her, lowering her to touch each base with her good leg. To Mallory it was simple: "In the end, it's not about winning and losing so much; it was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and deserved a home run." Mallory was right. It's just common decency. Sadly, such kindness isn't common at all in sports, and that's why all the coaches, players, and spectators who were stunned by this spontaneous act of sportsmanship wept. And that's how Mallory became a national hero. By the way, her team lost 4-2, but in my eyes, everyone won. Michael Josephson Contributed by: Azhar Abbas

Pause and Ponder...

A man came out of his home to admire his new Car. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, and hammered the little boy's hands into a pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your Car." Then he asked, "But when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home and committed suicide. Think about the story the next time you see someone spill milk at a dinner table or hear a baby crying. Think first before you lose your patience with someone u love. Cars can be repaired. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever. Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Understand and love.

Flipping

Flipping By Charles Price I have always been a fish, when it comes to swimming. I've been swimming since I was two and a half years old. I was fortunate to have a pool in my backyard growing up. My older sister, Veronica, was also a fish. She would get up on the diving board and do double front flips and double back flips with relative ease. Needless to say I was quite amazed by her acrobatic feet. I really wanted to do a flip badly. Except for some reason I was afraid of our diving board. It took me a few summers to get over that one. Six years later my sister had stopped doing her amazing double flips, but my dream to do a flip still stuck in my mind. I had a constant reminder in my backyard, even during the winter months. I started becoming very adventurous on the diving board, turning my body in various ways before I hit the water. The sting of the water when you are spinning uncontrollably almost knocked me out on multiple occasions. I really put my effort into doing flips when I was thirteen years old. I would begin my flip, only to get scared in the middle of it, and have a long fall to land on my back. This was my regular routine for three years. I'd have it and then get scared and hit my back, but I never stopped trying. I got really good at absorbing the pain of landing on my back or my side. My best friend, Kevin, had gotten the flip down the previous summer. Needless to say I did trust myself. I didn't truly believe I could do it. Yet no matter the countless tries attempting to fulfill this dream my focus to accomplish it never waned. One day while watching Kevin flip, it suddenly clicked for me. I lowered my left shoulder and did a very awkward looking flip. I was so ecstatic that I did this odd looking flips over and over again. It was all worth it. After that I perfected my flip and started doing one and a half flips. I have flipped off of ten-foot roofs (Don't try this at home kids); thirty-foot cliffs and a forty-five foot cliff. I tend to forget the accomplishments I've done in my childhood because I've thought it's all about growing up. But the dream that kid had still lives inside me. So next time you have a project to do or a dream to accomplish think of all the amazing things you have accomplished before that. Celebrate your victories and go after your dreams. If you have never done your flip in life, all it takes is the dream to do it again one more time.

Is there Hope?

Is there hope amidst devastation? Can one make sense out of madness. Your mess CAN turn into a miracle. Let your test be your testimony....FOR HOPE. This song is by Nicol Sponberg called Resurrection. Her new CD by the same title just came out. It's worth the buy!!

Morning Thought

Fresh flowers are waiting to disturb u.... Hot cup of coffe is ready to taste ur lips..... Sun , Birds.... Cool Air All are looking at ur window So Get Up...!! ******************* With petals of Roses,Palm full of Holly water, Light of Full Sun,Fragrance of Flower and Grass with dew. I wish u a very special Good Morning.... ******************* Between a 100000 yesterdays & a 100000 tomorrows, There is only one today and I would not let this pass without saying thx 4 being such a lovely frnd... Good Morning.............. Contributed by: Priya Jain

T-I-M-E... Dedicated to all Dad's on Father's day

June 15, is Father's Day, so to every father, this is our little gift to you.
But here's a warning...it will grab your heart, and not let go!
...Share it with every father you know. They'll love you for doing it.

How to deal with upcoming events.

How to deal with upcoming events. A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet Dachshund dog along for company. One day, the Dachshund starts chasing butterflies and before long the Dachshund discovers that he is lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having lunch. The Dachshund thinks, "I'm in deep trouble now! Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the Dachshund exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here." Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in mid-stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees. "Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That Dachshund! Nearly had me." Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes. But the Dachshund sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine." Now the Dachshund sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks "What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet... and just when they get close enough to hear, the Dachshund says........ ......... ..... "Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard." -------------- Moral: It doesn't matter what cards you hold but how you play them!! Contributed by: Shabbir Kagawala

The Crow

The Crow An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45 years old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window. The father asked his son, "What is this?" The son replied, "It is a crow". After a few minutes, the father asked his son the 2nd time, "What is this?" The son said, "Father, I have just now told you, It's a crow". After a little while, the old father again asked his son the 3rd time, "What is this?" At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the son's tone when he said to his father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow". A little after, the father again asked his son the 4th time, "What is this?" This time the son shouted at his father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times "IT IS A CROW". Are you not able to understand this?" A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:- "Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocent child". While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this?", the father had felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when today the father asked his son the same question just 4 times, the son felt irritated and annoyed. So.... If your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents. From today say this aloud, "I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me. They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to make a person presentable in the society today".

Change is Good...

In business and in life, we do have a choice. And the choice really boils down to this...either we manage change, or it will manage us.

The truth, of course, is that change can be a wonderful gift. In fact, it is the key that unlocks the doors to growth and excitement in any organization.

Then why is it so hard? Why...because we are all creatures of habit and unchartered waters are scary!

A big part of your success, as a leader, will be your ability to inspire your team to get out of their comfort zones, to assure them that even though you're on a new path, it's the right path, for the right reasons.

So sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy our new 3-minute movie Change is Good...You Go First. Just click on the link below to watch and don't forget to share it with your team!

Click Here To Watch

To Life,

Aseem Kaistha

It's your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude.

I'm Alive

WHEN A LIZARD CAN, WHY CAN'T WE?

A food for thought for all of us... WHEN A LIZARD CAN, WHY CAN'T WE? This is a true story that happened in Japan. In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built! What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years!!!!!!! !!! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years, without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed. So he stopped his work and observed the lizard. Later, not knowing from where it came appears another lizard, with food in its mouth. Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years... Imagine... it has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner. Think will u do that to your partner... Think that will you do it to your Mom, who brought you after a big struggle of nine long months? OR at least to your Dad, Friends, Co-workers, brothers and Sisters? Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't. As information and communication technology advances, our access to information becomes faster and faster. But the distance between human beings... is it getting closer as well? Please never abandon your loved ones... This is a forwarded mail from: Nisha Nair Courtesy: Saraswati Nair Powerup India Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/powerupindiagroup/

God's Will...

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?" Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her Grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed, and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower - her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green.. Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story. One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said. "Well, then, give me your pearls." "Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?" "Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss.. "Good night, little one." A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you." "Well, then, give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to her father. "No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams." Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. "Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand. With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing. So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure. Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things which God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities which you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing....... ......... . God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place. Courtesy: Mr. SHABBIR KAGALWALA

Gone are the days!!

Gone are the days!! When The school reopened in June, And we settled in our new desks and benches! When we queued up in book depot, And got our new books and notes! When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet managed to line up daily for the morning prayers. We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips! When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to Color pencils and finally sketch pens! When we started calculating first with tables and then with Clarke's tables and advanced to Calculators and computers! When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms Drenched in sweat! When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors, Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds! When all the colors in the world, Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays! When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table, Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons! When cricket was played with writing pads as bats, And Neckties and socks rolled into balls! When few played "kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun, While others simply played "book cricket" in the Confines of classroom! Of fights but no conspiracies, Of Competitions but seldom jealousy! When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast, In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks! When few rushed at 3:45 to "Conquer" window seats in our School bus! While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint", "kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 4o Clock! Gone are the days Of Sports Day, and the annual School Day , And the one-month long preparations for them. Gone are the days Of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most enjoyed holidays after them! Gone are the days Of tenth and twelfth standards, when We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests! We learnt, We enjoyed, We played, We won, We lost, We laughed, We cried, We fought, We thought. With so much fun in them, so many friends, So much experience, all this and more! Gone are the days When we used to talk for hours with our friends! Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'! Gone are the days When we played games on the road! Now we Code on the road with laptop! Gone are the days When we saw stars Shining at Night! Now we see stars when our code doesn't Work! Gone are the days When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds! Now we chat in chat rooms.....! Gone are the days Where we studied just to pass! Now we study to save our job! Gone are the days Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!! Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!! Gone are the days Where we shouted on the road! Now we don't shout even at home Gone are the days Where we got lectures from all! Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!! Gone are the days But not the memories, which will be Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and Ever and ever and ever ..... Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!! NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE, DONT FORGET TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL EXISTS... Contributed by: Shenoy, Sheshagiri B